


Unbound Melodies

by pieckult



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Band Fic, How Do I Tag, I Tried, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Sorry, Multi, Other, bassist onyankopon, drummer hange, guitarist yelena, hange nonbinary legend, i don't know what to put in here anymore so please just enjoy reading, pianist levi, pieck pansexual icon, vocalist pieck, yelena 6'7 lesbian queen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:07:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29335038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pieckult/pseuds/pieckult
Summary: Her voice was their weakness and choosing was hers. And with music binding them all together, would it be enough reason for everything to work in harmony?WARNING: This story contains foul words and mature scenes. Read at your own risk.
Relationships: Pieck Finger / Yelena / Hange Zoë, Pieck Finger/Hange Zoë, Pieck Finger/Yelena
Comments: 5
Kudos: 29





	Unbound Melodies

**Author's Note:**

> **PLEASE READ**
> 
> \- characters are a bit ooc (out of character) for the sake of the story.  
> \- **i also use they/them pronouns for hange.** if you don't like that, this story isn't for you.
> 
> i have put off finishing this story for a long time and i kind of feel good now that i've pushed through with it. i also have my friends to thank for helping me with this fic: sal (@awkwarddolan19), kei (@gojovid19)—both amazing writers—and iya (@youranimeslut) for helping me proofread—you're the best. go follow them!! special mention to the rest of wwl too, who stuck with me despite the amount of pestering i did so i could get ideas for this fic.
> 
> anyway, that is all. enjoy reading!

Maybe it was her melodious voice sounding like the gates of heaven had opened; or maybe it was the way she was always so uptight yet so calm—Pieck had always caught everyone’s eyes—Yelena being one of the many who adored her from afar. The guitarist had often wondered how she could steal the singer’s attention. She made an imaginary list of ways to do it and had gone through every bullet. She tried to poke fun at Pieck’s height, pranked her during band practice, did over-the-top flirting; but none of them seemed to have gotten a reaction out of Pieck. Yelena’s last resort was being the embodiment of mischief. She was always late to meetings and practices, picking fights with everyone at the most random times, and laughing even in serious situations. Everyone thought she was crazy, but she could not care less about what other people thought of her. After all, only Pieck’s opinion mattered; everyone else came in second. Yelena had never thought that there would come a time when she would ever be tamed by one person . . . What a funny world she lived in.

Yelena was still in bed, encased in her monstrous comforter. She lied on her side, looking at her phone that had been resting on top of the side table just within arm’s reach. The thick navy curtains blocked the sun from entering but the morning was bright enough to give the room a little bit of luminance. She pulled the comforter up to her nose to fight the cold breath of the air conditioner, not taking her eyes off the black phone. It had been an hour since she had woken up, but she chose to stay comfortable in her king-sized nest and laze away time while waiting for her phone screen to light up; and it finally did. The cover around her body was thrown to the ground when she hastily got up to pick up the ringing device.

“Hello?” Yelena greeted with utter enthusiasm.

The line was quiet.

“Hello…?” She repeated.

“What time did I say the practice would start?” As usual, the softness in Pieck’s voice was enough to somehow diminish the assumption that she was not in the best mood.

“Eight A.M.,” Yelena responded, leaning her back against the wooden headboard, placing a pillow in between for support. Despite the slightly apparent anger in Pieck’s tone, a smile managed to creep up Yelena’s lips. She loved getting scolded as it was the only way she could get Pieck to talk to her.

“What time is it now?” Pieck asked, her voice sounding a bit deeper than before.

“Nine…”

“What do you pla—”

“Well, I’m about to get ready. I’m going to take a bath now,” Yelena said truthfully as she finally got out of bed and walked towards the bathroom door, a playful grin still embedded on her mouth. She was enjoying this a little too much.

“You’re going to take a bath? Do you think the world revolves around you? We don’t have all day, Yelena.”

Pieck was mad and Yelena knew that; but for some reason, that information just gave her the butterflies. Maybe everyone was right . . . maybe she was crazy.

“Don’t bother attending,” and with that, Pieck hung up.

Yelena’s hand moved from her ear to the front of her face, staring at the dimming screen and letting out a chuckle from her nose, talking to the phone as if it were Pieck. “Since when did I not oppose you?” 

She made her way inside the tiled bathroom, placing her phone on the marble counter of the sink before removing her clothes and letting them fall onto the floor. Before she could even hop into the shower, her phone rang once again—another incoming call from Pieck—and even without looking, Yelena knew in an instant whose name was displayed on the screen. A victorious smirk spread across her lips upon seeing that she was right. She let it go on for a few more seconds before answering the call and putting it on speaker mode. 

“What? Miss me already?” Yelena teased, getting into the tub, and closing the shower curtain.

“It’s Hange!” Hange spoke from the other line, causing Yelena’s smile to drop and roll her eyes. 

“What do you want?” Yelena asked as she turned the shower knob and droplets of water landed on her skin, tracing down every curve of her exposed body.

“Wait, are you in the shower? Ooh, taking a bath for me to hear? Well, as fun as it would be, I don’t want to imagine it right now because we’re in the middle of practicing. Don’t worry, I was able to convince Pieck to let you off the hook again,” Hange somehow managed to find a way inside Pieck’s highly-built walls and it pissed Yelena off. How come Hange knew how to get to her? It came as a mystery to Yelena . . . Oh how lovely would it be if she cracked the code. 

“Wow, thank you, guardian angel. What would I ever do without you?” Yelena’s sarcasm did not faze the enthusiastic drummer.

“You’re welcome, giant! Anyway, I’m giving Pieck’s phone back to her,” Hange chirped, doing exactly what they just said.

Yelena shook her head as she applied shampoo onto her drenched hair, massaging her scalp and listening to the instruments being played on the other end of the phone call. She could not help but grin at the thought of everyone pushing through even without the lead guitarist. That was what Yelena loved most about their leader. She was a woman of her word and always found a way to turn things around. 

“Ten minutes. You live nearby,” although Pieck sounded calm, there was a hint of irritation dripping from her voice.

“Do you really expect me to finish within ten minutes? You know damn well how long it takes for me to get ready,” Yelena responded while applying her newly-bought shower gel that had a subtle lemon scent. She was not much of a scented soap kind of person but upon learning that Pieck liked fruity smells just a few days ago, Yelena then vowed to herself to give it a try.

“Also, didn’t you tell me not to go anymore?”

“You’re the one who’s late by an hour. I don’t understand where you’re getting the nerve to talk as if I was the one at fault. Ten minutes. That’s all I’m givi—”  


Yelena could not hold it in—her laugh echoed through the bathroom. “And what would you do if I’m not there in ten minutes? Pick me up and drag me to practice butt naked? I mean, I don’t mind showing off but you know, I kind of have a reputation to uphold.”

The line was silent for a few moments before it finally ended. She waited for another second before saying, “You still there?” 

She chuckled once more upon realizing that Pieck had left already.

What a pain in the ass Yelena was.

After her bath, she applied some leave-in conditioner onto her hair and it took her five minutes to blow dry and fix it; a pair of black skinny jeans, loose white V-neck shirt, silver watch, plain black wedge boots that had one-inch heels, and of course, her guitar case . . . at long last, she was ready to go. She checked her phone one last time for any messages and rolled her eyes when she saw Hange’s name on the screen, their unopened texts reaching over twenty.

Greeting Yelena in the garage was a shiny black SUV, perfectly situated in the middle of the spacious area with no other occupant but the vehicle. She hopped in, placing the guitar in the backseat and throwing her phone to the passenger seat. She could have walked to the studio but that would mean she would have chosen death—Pieck gave her an allowance of ten minutes—twenty minutes had passed and here she was, still making her way to the place. Walking would have taken her another ten minutes so what better way to travel than using wheels? Besides, she did not want to get there tired and sweaty; she just fixed her hair, she was not about to mess it all up. 

“Well, look who’s finally here,” Onyankopon, the bassist, said with a grin while wiping the strings of his instrument.

Everyone was busy with their own business before diverting all their attention to Yelena who had just arrived and was already setting up the electric guitar, testing it once it was all fixed up. Onyankopon was right next to her, close enough to catch a whiff and check if his hunch was correct—and it was. A deep chuckle came out of his mouth. It was only last week when he first smelled a faint scent from Yelena who was known to be hygienic but an enemy of strong smells. Seeing her undergo such drastic change surprised Onyankopon to say the least. The two of them had been inseparable since college; both music majors and attended the same classes and trainings. Although they were obvious contrasts of each other, they managed to get along despite the differences. One was fun and laid back, the other was—well—crazy, as the people would describe her.

Yelena slid on her guitar strap and strummed once, the loud sound blaring through the amplifier right in the corner, an ear-stinging feedback ringing through the soundproof room. She flinched a little, one eye closed, nose slightly wrinkled; but everyone else’s first reaction was, of course, to cover their ears.

“Son of a bitch,” Levi muttered who was seated in front of his electronic keyboard and right behind Yelena and Onyankopon.

Their eyes transferred to Hange when they hit the drum. Ba dum tss.

“And that’s for our ruined eardrums,” Hange said with an undaunted expression.

Pieck walked over to the amplifier, lowering the volume and going back to where the mic stand was, completely ignoring Yelena who just rolled her eyes when Onyankopon broke into a fit of laughter.

“Nice try, though,” he teased, his laughter easing off.

“Fuck off,” Yelena rebutted. Her eyes remained glued on Pieck who was talking to Hange on the other side about the vocal arrangements. Of course. Hange. Again.

“Stop dreaming, you bowl head. She will never like you,” Levi butted in, his face looking neutral as always.

“Oh, shut up. As far as I know, infants don’t have the ability to talk. I’m surprised you know words other than goo goo gaa gaa,” Yelena looked at Levi whose eyebrows were knitted in the middle, both having unreadable looks in their eyes. 

“Okay,” Pieck called everyone’s attention. “Let’s take it from the top. Will you guys be okay if we stay a little later than usual? Because some kid decided that it’d be fun to waste our time.”

She did not take even a moment to glance at Yelena and it pissed the guitarist off. Pieck was not always this angry at her and it got her thinking. Maybe their leader was finally over her tiresome antics. Maybe she had enough of it and decided to let Yelena do whatever she pleased; it started to bother her. It was not part of the plan. Losing her was not part of the plan.

“She’s more than a foot taller than you and you’re calling her a kid?” Levi uttered, Hange laughing at the remark.

“Don’t act as if you’re any different, Levi,” they giggled.

“Shut your mouth if you don’t want me to stick those sticks down your throat.”

Yelena chuckled. “I didn’t know you were kinky, Levi. You don’t look like the type.”

“Alright, enough of the giggles. Pieck might actually get mad and cancel this whole thing and we lose the chance of possibly getting our big break,” Onyankopon warned in a playful tone.

Pieck just shook her head and went back to her position, giving each of the members a quick glance before putting three fingers up, counting until all three were down. Everyone caught on and the bass started off the music, low at first, the intensity gradually increasing; then Hange twirled a stick around their fingers before hitting the drum, producing soft and mellow beats; followed by the electric guitar’s strings being plucked ever so smoothly; and the piano topping it all off and completing the prelude. Pieck felt the steady rhythm, allowing it to feed her senses with that familiar blissful feeling, remembering the times when it was just her; until Hange moved into the neighborhood and heard Pieck sing while watering her flowers. Next thing she knew, she was introduced to Levi, Hange’s old bandmate. Then came Onyankopon and Yelena, who performed at a seminar along with a few students from their university. It was a seminar on song composition wherein Pieck and Yelena had a heated exchange regarding their takes on the topic. At that exact moment, Yelena knew she wanted Pieck; and it was the perfect timing as Pieck, Hange, and Levi, had thought of forming a band and were on the hunt for more members. Hange, being the eager musician that they were, was amused by Yelena’s rebuttals and skills. Her fingers played with the strings so effortlessly as if her fingertips were touching the air. Pieck on the other hand, took a liking to the charismatic bassist who was just as talented. The charm he gave off on stage was impeccable. There was a bass solo in the intermission, and he pulled it off with his improvisations and on-the-spot freestyle. It was not an easy encounter. Pieck wanted Onyankopon in, but not the tall blonde woman that was with him. It took Hange days before they finally got Pieck to say yes to Yelena joining as well.

Their first meeting as a band went well. Yelena was not much of a prankster yet and Onyankopon was, well, trustworthy as ever. If only Pieck knew what would come out of the messily formed team, she would have not accepted Yelena and would have gone on another search instead. Though, there was nothing she could do anymore . . . since she had undoubtedly grown attached to the mischievous guitarist who also turned out to be a musical genius. It was Yelena and Levi who came up with the melody for their first song and it was not the best pairing. Had it not been for Pieck’s interference, all hell would have broken loose. It had been four years since then—four years since Yelena’s quiet world had been shaken.

Pieck started singing and no one showed any sign of amusement except for Yelena. It appeared everyone else had gotten used to hearing Pieck’s angelic voice, but Yelena felt like she would never get used to listening to such hypnotizing vocals. Everyone stopped when the sounds from the guitar gradually faded until it no longer played. It was only when Pieck was standing in front of Yelena—the latter towering the former—when Yelena was brought back to reality.

“What is your problem?” Calmness could no longer be heard from Pieck’s voice. The only thing she felt at that moment was anger. “I tried to be patient with you but all you do is test me. What do you want to happen, Yelena? Do you want out? Because you’re free to leave if—”

“No, I don’t want out,” and for the first time in a long time, Yelena felt scared.

Pieck let out a breath, looking away with her arms folded across her chest. “Then what is it?” She looked back at Yelena who was now silent.

“Because I’m not having any of your bullshit anymore. We only have two weeks to prepare for this damn competition which we all have been working hard for… I’m giving you one last chance,” Pieck added, her eyes now directed at Yelena’s. “Please.”

There was something different about Pieck’s eyes that tapped into the depth Yelena’s thoughts. It was neither rage nor sadness. Pieck actually begged Yelena. It was as if she wanted Yelena to change; but that would be a stretch.

Silence then enveloped the room.

“From the top,” Pieck ordered upon reaching her position.

And they did the piece all over again.

The tension stayed even after they finished practicing. Pieck and Yelena were the only ones left inside the studio and before Pieck could take another step closer towards the door, Yelena uttered the word, “Sorry...”

Pieck stopped, her back facing Yelena who then cleared her throat.

“…for everything.”

No response.

Yelena sighed. “I know I’ve done a lot of stupid things that probably almost led you to kicking me out of the group. Thank you for not doing it, though,” she put a hand on her nape, while the other firmly held the strap of her guitar case that was slung on her shoulder.

Boy, did she suck at apologizing.

“I just thought that I’d be able to, you know…” should she say it?

“I know.”

Yelena’s eyes grew wide, confusion spreading across her features.

“I know, Yelena,” Pieck said, still facing the door, hands holding the handle of her medium-sized handbag. “Do you think I didn’t notice that you’ve been using a different body soap lately? Do you think I’m ignoring you on purpose? Do you think I would ever beg to an annoying giant like you?” She finally turned around, her eyes glimmering.

“I saw it all. I saw you when you tried to get my attention. I saw you when you showed off your skills. I saw you when you did your best to make me laugh all the time. I saw you then… and I still see you now. Maybe a part of me is still hoping to see the Yelena I saw before but I guess I’ll just have to accept the one I’m looking at right now,” Pieck’s words were full of emotions—of warmth. This sudden confrontation left Yelena astounded; speechless. She would have never seen it coming. 

Pieck went on to say, “And I hate that I still see you even after witnessing you... change. I had to hold myself back because if I didn’t, I would have been a mess. I would have thrown myself at you like a crazy idiot.”

Yelena took a big tread, nearly closing the space between them. She always found it funny yet cute how small Pieck looked next to her and she liked it. She liked how big the gap was, whether it be their height or the dissimilarities in taste and beliefs. She liked that she learned something new about Pieck every single day. She loved every bit of it.

“So what if you look like a crazy idiot? I am a crazy idiot and how did I turn out?” Yelena paused for a while. “Not good, obviously. But I’m just saying, we could make this wo—”

Pieck’s small hand grabbed ahold of Yelena’s collar and pulled her down, letting their lips crash against each other. She dropped her bag and the thud it made was obviously not loud enough to wake her up from this dreamlike state. How Pieck was able to do that to someone much bigger and stronger than her—it was a mystery, even to herself. The strap on Yelena’s shoulder had slid down her arm, their lips still connected. It did not take long before Yelena placed the guitar back on the floor, her tense body eventually calming down and giving in to the electricity flowing through her veins and igniting her system. She had been waiting too long for this and hearing Pieck say all those words opened another door inside Yelena which she did not know even existed. Was it love?

Pieck pulled away, their faces still a few centimeters from each other, and her hand still holding Yelena’s shirt.

“Don’t be late tomorrow.”

Her voice was firm and whole, far from the soft one she was known for.

“Hange’s waiting for me outside, see you,” she said before letting Yelena go and picking her bag back up, and finally stepping out of the studio. 

Yelena was still in shock but it felt like Pieck did not even give her time to process it all. It happened so fast that she could not believe that it was real. Pieck just confessed. They just kissed. It was all true.

“Hange’s waiting for me outside, see you.”

That’s what snapped her back into her senses.

“Right. Almost forgot that walking encyclopedia exists,” Yelena mumbled, sighing and picking up her guitar. **Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day**.

*** * ***

“Once in your life you find someone who will turn your world around… pick you up when you’re feeling down.”

Hange was painting their fence when they heard a heavenly voice not too far from where they were. The voice continued to sing, alluring their ears and muffling out everything else. Hange used to be a part of a band, but they had never heard anyone sing this beautifully—not even their former vocalist. Of course, there were a lot of other singers who could top this, but for Hange, it was the first time their heart skipped a beat over hearing someone sing. The voice was soft and clear, leading them to believe that the person singing must have been a professional. They tried to look over the fence and saw a black-haired girl who seemed to be shorter than Levi. There were earphones plugged in her ears as she held a long white hose, watering the blooming flowers at the small corner of her lawn.

“Hey, four-eyes, you’re painting the grass,” Levi scolded Hange who tried to color the lower part of the fence but ended up reaching the grass instead. Hange invited him over to help them with the piled-up housework that they had been avoiding for the past week since they moved in. It was their last year in college and they wanted a place that they could call their own.

“Shh,” Hange hushed as they continued to listen, eyes over the fence.

They immediately bent down when the girl turned around to turn off the water. Levi just stared at the frantic Hange before rolling his eyes.

“Fucking weirdo,” he muttered before heading over to the other end and applying paint on it.

They let out a quiet sigh before peeking once again, the short girl now standing right on the opposite side of the freshly coated white fence. Her sudden appearance startled the already panicking Hange who then swallowed the air in their mouth upon the sight of the woman they were sneakily watching a few seconds ago. It was daytime and the sun sat pretty in the sky, its blinding rays gleaming down on her and accentuating her delicate features. She took off the earphones while the music continued to play; then looked at Hange who was still seated at the grass, fingers tightly wrapped around the brush that was on their side. Their heart raced and they were not sure if it was because of the way their neighbor looked at them like they were some criminal in need of a ghastly punishment, or if it was due to the exhaustion from hours of arranging their new home. Either way, it did not look good for them.

“Do you know that I can report you?” The girl turned her head towards the direction of the security camera at the post just across the two houses.

Hange followed her gaze until they were both looking at the same post. It almost pulled Hange’s soul out of their body. They dropped the brush and lifted their hands to their chest, desperately waving in defeat as they laughed nervously.

“You got it all wrong—”

She huffed, crossing her arms. “We finally have a new neighbor after a year and it’s a stalker?”

Hange blinked and from the corner, they heard Levi’s soft snickers. They shot him a glare and he just raised an eyebrow, saying, “What?”

“Or what if I’m the bad guy? What if there were hidden bodies underground? Ever heard of stranger danger?” She was soft-spoken but there was something in her words that made them sound threatening and made Hange question if they chose the wrong environment to live in. 

“I’m confused,” the fright on Hange’s face was replaced with perplexity.

“I’m just saying, one can never be too careful,” she smiled, her eyes forming into a small concave, as if smiling as well. It emphasized the gentleness of her face and struck Hange right when they least expected it. There were butterflies playing in their stomach, turning the entirety of it into a playground. Was it the smile that piqued their interest? Was it the voice? Or was it the sharpness of her personality? Nonetheless, there was one thing they were certain of: she was something else.

Hange blinked a few times when the person standing in front of them burst into laughter; even her laugh sounded angelic. There had to be a flaw hidden in there somewhere . . . she was too perfect.

“Ease up a bit, I’m kidding. You look like you’re about to pee your pants. Welcome to the neighborhood,” she stated, her captivating smile never leaving her lips.

“Pieck, by the way,” she added, holding out a hand for Hange to shake.

They looked at the slim hand reaching to them and blinked one more time, before standing up and taking it. “Ah. Hange.”

Pieck nodded, letting go of Hange’s hand and shooting a glance at the half-fixed fence. “Need help?”

“Yes.” “No.”

Hange and Levi looked at each other when they both responded differently. Hange looked at Levi, widening their eyes to send a signal and hoping that he would understand. He did; but he just stared back at them with lazy eyes and his infamous frown that never lost an argument. He did not want anyone ruining both of their hard work. 

“Well, next time, then?” Pieck beamed. “I have to go help my dad with chores anyway. Nice meeting you!” 

Hange watched as Pieck walked back inside. They placed their hand on their chest, feeling their heart rebelling against them as if they had just completed a lap around the block. It was foreign to them—a little overwhelming—since they had never felt this way for anyone; never got with the people they had been set up with; never purposely looked for any kind of love at all. Sure, there were a couple of crushes growing up, but they were all just that—happy crushes, as Hange believed that the right person would eventually come. Never would they have thought that their switch could ever be flipped like this; perhaps it was the universe telling them to let loose and give it a shot. Levi was there to witness it all and not once did he push Hange to search against their will and it was about time they finally surfed the waves. Was it really supposed to be this easy, though? Surely, it had to be a little more complex than this, right? Love at first sight was not real . . . there was no way. But after a year of getting to know each other, it ultimately blossomed into something more. Their mutual love for music had inspired them to form a band that was capable of creating masterpieces that they could keep for a long time. Pieck was in her last year, Hange buried themselves in band work, and time could no longer be spared. A year and a half into the relationship, they separated. It was not because the love was lost, but because they felt themselves drifting away and having different priorities.

For six years, since Hange first laid eyes on Pieck, they had not looked for anyone else. Six years had gone by as if time was eager to see the pair grow on each other—and they did; but after the growth came their downfall. They had not gotten back together since. Hange had been wanting to try again but they saw how thrilled Pieck was every time she saw Yelena. They saw the way their past lover looked at their bandmate. They saw the subtle annoyance in Pieck when Yelena started to change and transform into what had become of her reputation. Until Hange stopped feeling Pieck's yearning for them and that was when they came up with a self-agreement: **allow her to be happy.** They did not like it when Pieck was upset so whenever Yelena would be late, they would swoop in and try to fix it. Hange wanted to see Pieck happy even if it was with someone else. It was time for them to remove themself from the picture and accept defeat. 

They saw the kiss.

"Are you sure you want to go home this late? It's past midnight," Hange asked Levi who had just stood up from the black couch.

After the practice, they had called on Levi to vent a little about the incident and he had decided to give Hange a surprise visit that same night. Instead of giving helpful advice, he just bluntly scolded Hange over and over for not making a move sooner. 

"I'd rather go home late than stay the night here," Levi answered in his cold voice, picking up his coat and his phone. 

Hange pouted jokingly. "You hate me." 

"Yeah." 

"I hope you choke on water and it drips out of your nose." 

Levi looked at them in disgust before walking towards the door. "You were too slow."

"How many more times are you going to say that, minion? Go. Thanks for the help. It was garbage," Hange protested, turning the knob. 

"You're garbage. Ungrateful bastard," he rolled his eyes and walked out the door. 

"Take care and don't forget to call your mom if you get lost!" Hange yelled, their playful tone not getting through to Levi who just kept walking and raised his middle finger in the air. 

They laughed then took a deep breath, tying their hair up and getting their phone from the center table of the living room, before heading to the small soundproof area in the house where the instruments were placed. It was a compact room that could only hold one to two people. Across the door was the drum set, and to its right was an electronic keyboard. In the corner rested a ukulele, a flute, and a small compartment where they kept their drumsticks, headphones, and cleaning tools for the instruments. Once the door was locked, they grabbed a pair of black drumsticks along with their favorite headphones from the drawer and sat by their most treasured musical apparatus. They wore the headphones, connecting it to their phone that played the music they would hit the drums to. The sounds blasted all over the small space, the beats bouncing off the soundproof walls. Hange closed their eyes, immersing in the rhythm, and feeling the powerful vibrations from it. The frustration, the anger, and the regret, could all be felt with every strike. Hange knew they were going to deprive themself of a much needed rest if they kept this up, but they were also aware of the pent-up emotions that needed to be freed; and music was the closest thing they had to a companion—aside from Levi—but to Hange, that man was of no use.

Little did they know, Pieck was making her way to their little room, bringing with her some lyrics she had suddenly thought of. Hange had forgotten to close the door after Levi had left, so Pieck decided to walk in. She wanted to knock on the door of Hange's instrument room, but instead rested her palm and ear against the cold door, sensing the muffled noises and reverberation coming from the inside.

"Maybe they'll finish in a while," Pieck mumbled to herself, waiting for Hange in the living room. 

Almost an hour had gone by and Hange had not come out of the room yet. Pieck opted to do it tomorrow, but before she could even take a step away from the couch, she turned her head one last time to the direction of the room and was shocked to see a topless Hange, sweaty and trying to catch their breath. They let their hair down, running their fingers through it, before wiping their neck with their shirt, not realizing that Pieck was just a few feet away from them until they opened their eyes and saw her from their peripheral vision. She turned around and mentally reprimanded herself for not looking away sooner. 

"I didn't know you were here," Hange nervously commented, trying to smell their shirt and scrunching their face. They could not put it back on. 

"I was just outside when you saw Levi off. I, uh, kind of came up with something and I thought you'd want to take a look at it," Pieck replied without looking at Hange. 

They let out a nervous laugh. “What are you looking at over there? I mean, it’s not like you haven’t seen all this before,” they tried to be casual about it all but only ended up sounding even more awkward.

Pieck felt a rush of warm sensation rise up her cheeks. “Yeah, but that was when we were still together!”

The nervousness left Hange’s chest. It was the first time they had seen Pieck this embarrassed and it was too adorable.

“I’ll leave this here. Just tell me your insights on it tomorrow at practice,” she said, putting the notebook down on the center table, then hastily making her way out.

Hange looked at the green notebook before sitting down to grab it. They chuckled softly upon seeing that it was the notebook they used to write on when the band was still new and writing lyrics was not Pieck’s cup of tea. Of course, she had gotten the hang of it now and had eventually become the lyricist of the group. Hange, who had a way with words, often came to Pieck’s rescue whenever she needed help with her compositions; and tonight was another one of those nights. The notebook had gotten quite thin compared to when they last saw Pieck use it, which made them think that Pieck had probably ripped the old pages off—pages upon pages of old lyrics that had something to do with their past. They flipped it open and they were right . . . those pages were gone.

There were a few verses written on the first page.

I hate it when dudes try to chase me  
but I love it when you try to save me  
‘cause I’m just a lady  


I love it when we play 1950  
It’s so cold that your stare’s ‘bout to kill me  
I’m surprised when you kissed me  


So tell me why my Gods look like you  
And tell me why it’s wrong  


So, I’ll wait for you, I’ll pray I will keep on waiting for your love For you, I’ll wait; I will keep on waiting for your

It was obvious that it was not done, yet Hange loved every word and wanted to know what it would sound like from Pieck’s mouth. They could not help but wonder about what could have gone through her mind when she wrote it. Who did she think about? Was it Yelena? Was she Pieck’s inspiration for writing such a piece? 

Maybe they were too slow after all.

Morning came and a two-hour sleep was not enough for Hange to recharge their lost energy but they were hoping that a big mug of black coffee would help pump even just a little bit of power into their system. The last thing they wanted was to fall asleep on the motorcycle while on the road. They had dialed Pieck’s number earlier but got no response; and fortunately for Hange, it probably meant that she was still in bed. Normally, the two of them would go to the studio together but Hange did not feel like being alone with Pieck today. They sent a text message afterwards, saying that they would be heading to the studio first. As soon as they hopped on the dark red bike, they put on their helmet, and revved the engine, a sigh leaving their mouth before driving away. Once they arrived, they immediately looked through the flower pots near the doormat to get the key. They entered and saw the drums in the corner, with Levi’s keyboard on the opposite side.

“Where’s Pieck?” Asked Onyankopon who had just walked in, placing his bass down.

Hange turned to look at him, laughing awkwardly. “She was still sleeping when I called her, so…”

Onyankopon nodded, sitting down on Levi’s chair, and folding his arms across his chest. “Do you think she’s fed up with Yelena?”

Hange faced the drums again before sitting down and grabbing the sticks.

“I mean she obviously is, considering how big of a dickhead that giraffe is,” he chuckled. “But Yelena seems different today. It seems like the heavens have had enough of her acts and woke her up early this morning. She called me at six. Can you believe that? Six freaking A.M. Then she said that she’d treat me to dinner after practice. Weird. I feel like she has given up on Pieck.”

He put his chin in between his thumb and index finger. “That, or she finally realized how stupid she’s been acting and just wants to turn over a new leaf.”

Before Hange could respond, Onyankopon’s phone rang.

“Ooh, I need to go somewhere real quick. I’ll be back in thirty.”

They just nodded and leaned against the wall with hands right in between their thighs, holding the drumsticks and closing their eyes. The coffee did not do much work, it seemed. After a few moments of being alone, Hange heard the door open again. Their eyes remained closed as Pieck made her way in. She saw Hange “sleeping” peacefully and how calm they looked while taking a tour around dreamland. She placed her bag on a Monoblock before walking over to Hange and slowly pulling the drumsticks from their loose grip. Hange then opened their eyes to see Pieck next to them, slightly bent down, her cheek just two inches away from their mouth. She turned her head and immediately stood straight when she saw that Hange was awake.

“I didn’t mean to wake you. I just wanted to put your dr—”

“It’s okay, I wasn’t sleeping,” Hange replied.

Pieck cleared her throat and looked at Hange once more; a smile now seen on her face . . . the same smile that first gave Hange the butterflies.

“So, what did you think about it?” Pieck asked with her arms across her chest.

Hange’s eyebrows met in the middle, their fingers playing with the sticks.

“The lyrics…?” Pieck tried to remind them.

Their mouth formed a small “O” before saying, “Oh, right. Well, I liked it but I spent all night trying to figure out what it sounds like.”

Excitement filled Pieck’s eyes. She grabbed a Monoblock and sat near Hange’s side. “Okay, here’s how it goes.”

She started singing out the words written on the notebook that Hange had forgotten to bring. They could not help but stare at the vocalist. She smiled the entire time she sang and it caused a commotion in Hange's head, chest feeling the loud banging inside of it. They wanted to think that it was because of the excessive amount of caffeine in their body but they were convinced that Pieck was the only reason. She stopped singing when she noticed how close their faces had gotten to each other. She could feel her own heartbeat becoming louder too. The fire of the past had been set ablaze once again.

Their lips were just a few centimeters away from connecting, when Hange saw Yelena come in. They instantly moved back, clearing their throat. 

"Oh, no, don't let me interrupt your little make-out party," Yelena said, an evident tone of sarcasm heard from her voice. 

Pieck heard Yelena and she turned around, seeing the guitarist just taking a seat on the chair near the keyboard. 

"You're forty-five minutes early. That's new," Pieck tried to change the topic. 

"Yeah, just enough to witness the romantic scene you got going on," Yelena leaned against her seat, crossing her legs. 

"We didn't kiss!" Hange butted in to defend the two of them. 

Yelena wanted to laugh but she kept her composure. "And I didn't ask." 

There was something about the rising tension that thrilled her. As to what this new emotion was, she too, did not have a clue. All she knew was that the supposed jealousy she should have felt, was not there. For some reason, the strong feelings she had towards Pieck had become greater and no, it was not the usual giddiness she dealt with everyday. The sensation creeping up her chest was something she could not control as much as she wanted to. It made her head spin, and her skin hot. She had always found Hange annoying but why did the sight not bother her? Maybe, just maybe, she had always known all along. It had always been Hange . . . or not. Her inner self laughed, realizing what it truly was.

Hange shook their head defensively. "Look, I was the one who initiated but nothing's going on between us anymore. The past? The past doesn't matter. I…” they glanced at Pieck for a quick second before looking away and gulping. “I don’t have feelings for her anymore.”

Both Yelena and Hange looked at Pieck when she started laughing. “Right. That’s why you keep pushing me away for me to be with Yelena? See, I don’t get you, Hange. You want me to be with her but when I actually start to catch feelings, you act all sad and hurt. What do you want me to do about that? What do you want me to do about my feelings? Because right now, it’s all over the place. You think I don’t know what you’re trying to do? What you keep trying to do?”

Yelena found it fascinating how calm Pieck sounded but the words coming out of her mouth were like daggers slicing through their skins. Hange could not look at Pieck so they just focused their eyes on the drumsticks in their hands. Yelena tried her best not to laugh and ruin the moment.

“But you’re happy with her, aren’t you?”

Upon hearing Hange’s words, the smirk that was threatening to show on Yelena’s face dropped.

Hange finally looked back at Pieck, eyes glistening and full of emotions. “When you two kissed—”

“Wait, when we kissed?” Pieck was confused. “You saw?”

Yelena chuckled. “Come now, Pieck. Don’t pull the victim card. You’re the one playing two games at the same time.”

Pieck looked at her, breathing getting heavier. Yelena just raised her eyebrows, sliding her hands inside the pockets of her oversized blazer while still comfortably slouched on the chair. “What? Am I wrong? Hange?”

Hange dropped their sticks and stood up, but Pieck held their wrist. “Where do you think you’re going? We’re not done,” she sounded angry—authoritative. “Stay.”  


Hange’s jaw clenched, their throat swallowing in air.

“You heard the leader. Stay,” Yelena joined in, her smirk successfully breaking into the surface.

Hange started to feel their heart palpitations getting stronger and the surroundings getting warmer. They were stuck in a situation they wanted to run away from but couldn’t—not because they were being forced to stay, but because deep down, they knew they wanted to; and if they stayed any longer, they would not be able to leave. If they let their emotions win, they would not be able to pick themself back up. They had always lost these kinds of battles and they wanted to change that. For once, they wanted to be in control. For once, they wanted to win and stop being held captive by the prison that was their desire—and they only had one: Pieck.

“Admit it, you don’t really want me to have her. Since you two shared a past– sorry, share a past,” Yelena paused for a moment, thinking. “That explains why the two of you have always been close. That’s also probably why Levi keeps telling me to give it up. Why haven’t I thought of that? And when you were all over each other… Damn, I thought you were just really good friends. Since you never really kissed in front of us."

She was teasing now. She chuckled lowly and sat up straight, putting her feet down and bending over to rest her elbow on her lap, entwining her own fingers together while looking at the tense Hange. “We both want her,” she transferred her gaze to Pieck. “And I know that she wants us both just as much.”

Pieck looked at Yelena whose eyes were indecipherable, her mischievous smile still playing on her lips. Pieck’s face turned red because of anger . . . and embarrassment. Just what on earth was Yelena trying to say?

Yelena shrugged. “Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. I doubt I am, though.”

Pieck stood up as well, causing the other two to look at her. She walked towards the door, holding the doorknob. Hange’s heart sank.

“Pieck…” they tried to call on her.

The hurt in Hange’s eyes was then replaced by confusion when Pieck pressed on the lock. She spun back around to first look at Yelena, then at Hange, before taking a deep breath and saying, “We have time.”

Yelena smiled. "That's my girl."

A faint tint of red rushed up Hange's cheeks. "Time for what?" 

"Time for you to shut up," Yelena laughed, standing up. "Don't you get it? And here I thought you were smart." 

Hange realized what was about to happen; and they wished they had not, because now, they could not just leave anymore. Yes, they did have time.

**Author's Note:**

> hi! the song that pieck "wrote" isn't mine. the title is **1950** by king princess. give it a listen, it's really good.
> 
> also, please bear in mind that english isn't my first language and i only write as a hobby. i am in no way a professional writer so if you have any comment or suggestion, please feel free to express them. i am open for **constructive** criticism.
> 
> thank you for reading. ♥


End file.
